Pick and Shovel Stiffs 1927

Kenneth Callahan made this intaglio print, Pick and Shovel Stiffs, with metal plate, needle and acid. Look at the economy of line! He just goes right in there, mapping out the scene, scratchy and rough. It makes me think about the labor of the workers he depicts. The texture of the lines really brings the image to life, doesn’t it? See how the etched lines vary in thickness and depth, creating shadows and highlights that give the figures weight and volume. I love the way the dark lines around the figures digging contrast with the lighter, almost ghostly house on the hill. It’s like the present versus the past, or maybe just a trick of the light. Callahan's use of line reminds me of Kathe Kollwitz. Both artists were masters of using simple lines to convey deep emotion and social commentary, but where Kollwitz is anguished, Callahan has a rough stoicism. Art always feels like a conversation, doesn't it? A call and response across time.